FOOTBALL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 53, 20 July 1912, Page 7

FOOTBALL.

THE SATURDAY COMPETITION. THE FINAL TO-DAY. At Okato this afternoon the final- of the Saturday competition will he played, when Star and Okato me»t. The former are a point ahead, so a draw will make them premiers. The match should be very interesting, as both sides are out to win, and it is to be hoped that Star will be able to take fifteen men. The country team has improved of late, and on tlisir own ground are a proposition that must not be held too cheap. Judging from the personnel of their team, Star will have to lean very heavily on their forwards if they wish to bring the laurels home to New Plymouth. The redoubtable Black pack will take the field intact, but the backs are another question. At present it looks like dispensing with a wing;-forward, and playing Packard back. He will have for company Gleeson (half), McAllum (somewhere where the fray will be thickest), and Clarke (anywhere between full-back and five-eighths). This makes four backs. The others are not certainties. These include Stannering, possibly Goiulie, and another well-known exponent of ''rugger," who occasionally sport.9 a bit of black. It is on the tapis that Okato are mustering a strong fifteen, and, failing Stannering'.? services, then, and in event of only the four "certainties" afore-mentioned turning up in the backs, Star's wisest course might perhaps be to rob the forwards of Haw- | kins and play him at full-back, playing I one man short in the pack, j Okato will have the services of L.. Care}-, which should strengthen their I pack, which will be fairly'solid. The I backs, too, are stronger than their op- 1 ponent-s. Okato's game should be to kick i | high and follow up. If they arc able to ] I secure the ball either in "the loose or I from the scrum, they should throw it , about among their backs. The OVato wing-threequarters, Andrews and Rita. | are fairly fast. Okato should keep the j game as open as possible. j So far as is known the Star team will comprise: Okey, Woods, Richards. Ilaw-J kins, Dewar, Pileher, Charters, Packard. ! Gleeson, McAllum, Clarke, Goudie, and two others. The nature of the Star-Fitzroy match oil Saturday did not permit of a great deal of individual brilliancy. Star forwards carried all before t'liem in their rushes, although the Maoris got the ball from the strum pretty frequently. The Fitr.roy team lacks combination. There is plenty of good material, but individual eflort fails through lack of support. Tonga Skipper takes the ball well and is very speedy. The Fitzroy full-back played a good game and got down gamelv to the formidable Star rushes. Tom Hook played a good game for Fitzroy at wing forward, but unfortunately retired about half-way through the first spell. For the victors, Hawkins contributed his usual willing game, but his goal-kicking was not the best he has done. He failed with several easy kicks. Dewar was a tower of strength* to his pack. Charters and Richards are a fine • pair of forwards and headed many of the Star rushes. They dribble well, Charters being especially clever in that line. They would be useful adjuncts to any pack. Clarke played a good game at three-quarter, where he is evidently more , in place than at full-back, McAllum j played a nippy game, and was always on hand when wanted. Stannering took a lot of watching, and made several nice openings. Okey must not be left out. He does a lot of hard work and makes j up in this direction what he lacks in the j weight necessary for a forward. I